novelraw Chapter 167 : Chapter 167
Chapter 167 : Chapter 167
Chapter 167. Isolated Training (1)
I swung the Master’s Blade like a madman at the lump of iron blocking the cave entrance.
Metallic sounds rang out repeatedly.
Clang!
But not even a hairline crack appeared on the lump of iron.
Even though I was swinging with sword silk wrapped around.
The hand gripping the Master’s Blade trembles.
The fist turned white from losing blood circulation because I gripped too tight. Blood was flowing down the fist as if calluses were torn.
But pain was not felt.
Only anger soared.
“Open the door right now!!”
I even shouted with malice.
Nothing changed.
The cave entrance was still firmly locked.
“You damn bastard!!”
Did the senile crazy old man already leave? There was no reaction even when I spat out curses.
After repeating empty venting of anger for a long time.
I sat down on the cave floor with a thud.
“Haa.”
It wasn't that the anger subsided.
It felt like the anger that was bursting out was becoming a lump inside.
Thanks to that, my head became clearer.
I was kidnapped by a crazy old man.
I couldn't know what happened to the comrades.
The crazy old man didn't give a definite answer.
But judging by that crazy old man’s actions, the possibility that he killed them seemed high.
So I had to take revenge on that crazy bastard by any means necessary.
I turned my head to examine the inside of the cave.
Even though the entrance was clearly closed, a faint light was circulating.
Looking closely, faint light flowed out from various places on the wall.
Luminous Pearls, famous for being ridiculously expensive, were embedded throughout the cave.
Relying on that faint light, I walked inside the cave.
In one corner of the cave, a small spring was pooled.
I examined closely to see if I could escape through that spring.
“Damn it.”
Now looking, it wasn't a spring connected to another place.
It was just water dripping drop by drop from the cave ceiling pooling there.
Moving my steps again, something like a large jar was placed a little away from the spring.
That jar contained a large amount of small pills.
They were Grain Pills.
It was a familiar scene.
Master Sun Moon Divine Sword’s Secret Grotto was like this.
It meant it was a place for isolated training.
One possibility came to mind.
The Fighting Venerable was known to go into seclusion without leaving his house for several years after finishing a journey in the Gangho.
Then wouldn't this place be one of the places the Fighting Venerable used for isolated training?
“But why did this crazy old man lock me in here?”
He was a crazy old man who indiscriminately slaughtered underworld bastards he encountered for the first time. Even underworld bastards with no particular grudge relationship.
Perhaps my comrades might have been murdered by that damn bastard too.
But why did he keep only me alive and lock me in here?
It was difficult for a normal person to understand a crazy old man’s thoughts.
But there were a few clues.
Just before kidnapping me. And the words that old man spat out right after I woke up.
- Hehehe. Still, you look a little useful.
- From whom did you learn your martial arts?
- Boy. I will give you a time of five years. Try training the Sun Moon Divine Sword’s martial arts diligently until then. Hahahaha!
Adding the rumors about that crazy old man’s temperament to that, one deduction was possible.
The crazy old man was a guy who enjoyed life-and-death duels with strong enemies.
Even to the point of visiting the Shaolin Temple and causing a scene saying he wanted to experience Shaolin’s Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation, called the world’s best formation.
“To hold a life-and-death duel with me after I build my skills.”
Or because he wanted to personally face the peerless divine art of ancient times called Sun Moon Infinite Sword.
I suspected he kidnapped and locked me up because my age was still young and my skills were lacking.
I finished the deduction without difficulty, but I couldn't empathize.
“Crazy bastard.”
Just for such a reason, kidnapping a person without rhyme or reason?
Even killing all the comrades around me?
My teeth ground automatically.
“Fine. As you wish, I will build my skills and kill you.”
If I mastered the Sun Moon Infinite Sword as the bastard wanted, I might be able to kill him.
Of course, the time of five years was short.
And the Fighting Venerable’s martial prowess far exceeded my level.
But it didn't matter.
I had absolutely no intention of living like a person waiting for the day to die, just waiting for the bastard to let me out of here.
It was fine even if I just mastered the Sun Moon Infinite Sword and raised my realm to a level where I could react to the bastard’s movements.
At least if I could react, I would be able to land a blow on the bastard somehow with the power of my special two eyes.
Since I succeeded in killing experts several levels above me a few times with the power of my eyes before too.
No. If it really doesn't work, I planned to aim for mutual destruction.
And even for mutual destruction, I had to raise my skills to some extent.
After organizing my thoughts, I undid my top.
The abdomen wrapped in layers of cloth. The secret manual of Sun Moon Infinite Sword was tied there intact.
The thought ‘as expected’ came to mind first.
Even though he kidnapped and locked me in a cave, he left the Master’s Blade and the secret manual as they were.
The bastard’s intention for me to build skills was clearly visible.
A rebellious temperament abruptly raises its head.
I wanted to move contrary to the bastard’s intention.
But I shook my head.
If I did that, I could make the bastard feel unpleasant, but I couldn't take revenge.
Perhaps he killed my comrades to use my vengefulness.
Because it was an intention clearly visible, the corners of my mouth went up automatically.
“Fine. I will do as you wish.”
A smile full of killing intent is drawn.
“You will die because of that arrogance.”
I opened the secret manual of Sun Moon Infinite Sword and carefully examined the essential points of all forms.
Then I raised my body and started swinging the Master’s Blade.
Starting from the First Form Crimson Lotus Ascends to Heaven to the Fifth Form Illusionary Sun Myriad Changes.
When I unfolded the last Illusionary Sun Myriad Changes, dozens of strands of sword qi stretched out in all directions.
Still lacking. I couldn't perfectly control dozens of strands of sword qi.
When I become able to unfold Illusionary Sun Myriad Changes skillfully, then I had to train the Sixth Form.
And after mastering all the first six forms, I planned to train the latter forms.
But I had no intention of standing stupidly and swinging only the sword.
“Sssip. Huu.”
Catching my breath, I focus my mind.
I recalled the images of strong enemies I fought recently.
I recall that skillful Life and Death Blood Steps the Unwol Sect Leader bastard unfolded.
I swung the sword mimicking that person’s gait.
It wasn't just the Unwol Sect Leader.
I continuously recalled the images of strong enemies I fought recently.
I ruminate on the sight of the Dragon King Fortress Leader swinging twin axes.
I mimicked the guy’s ever-changing combo attacks, and also recalled the sight of the guy forming enhanced qi.
Thanks to the efficacy of the special second eye, I could grasp, at least roughly, how the internal energy flowed when the Dragon King Fortress Leader formed enhanced qi.
I couldn't grasp it in detail, but this was a problem to overcome through training.
I will refine all the martial arts I saw, experienced, and learned.
By compiling all those martial arts, I had to create a dagger to kill the enemy called the Fighting Venerable.
***
A terrible silence was flowing at the entrance of Mount Pyeongwan where the scent of blood drifted thickly.
Nam Geon, who barely recovered his body, looked in the direction Jin Yuseong disappeared with a dazed face.
“Brother…….”
Choyeon kept her mouth shut with an expression whose inner thoughts couldn't be known, and Baek Hyang also had her head bowed low.
Dang Sopyeong felt frustrated as if his insides were blocked tight.
Then Hwangbo Ak, who had fainted, raised his body.
“Keuk…….”
Rubbing his head from the intense headache, Hwangbo Ak raised his upper body.
“Seems like I drank a dozen bottles of alcohol.”
Hwangbo Ak, who got up muttering to himself, saw the appearance of the comrades.
Examining if there was any problem, he realized something belatedly.
“What happened to Brother Jin?”
Dang Sopyeong answered with clenched teeth.
“The Fighting Venerable dragged him away.”
At this, Hwangbo Ak revealed his teeth and smiled.
“Hehehe. It seems the Fighting Venerable also liked Brother Jin quite a bit.”
Usually, Dang Sopyeong treated Hwangbo Ak with minimum courtesy, but this time he couldn't endure and spat out a curse.
“……What kind of dog crap is that?”
But Hwangbo Ak didn't seem to mind.
“If not that, why would he have dragged him away? If he wanted to kill him, wouldn't he have killed him long ago?”
Dang Sopyeong, who tried to shoot back a word, stopped opening his mouth and closed it again.
It had its own logic.
Because that Hwangbo Ak’s nature was similar to the Fighting Venerable.
If that guy’s thought is so, wouldn't the Fighting Venerable also have a similar thought?
At least now, it seemed better to think that way.
Dang Sopyeong clapped his hands abruptly.
Clap!
Then the gazes of the comrades looking at the air with gloomy expressions turned to Dang Sopyeong.
Dang Sopyeong also looked at the comrades.
Leaving others aside, Dang Sopyeong didn't expect even Baek Hyang to lose her mind like that.
Because although she was the youngest among the comrades, she was the most mature girl.
But the fact that she was the youngest didn't change.
Conversely, older Nam Geon or Hwangbo Ak were not people who could hold the center at times like this.
Dang Sopyeong thought.
For now, he had to organize the situation.
“It is as Brother Hwangbo said. The Fighting Venerable didn't kill the Jin fellow but dragged him away. It means he has no intention to kill.”
“But…….”
As Baek Hyang tried to refute something, Dang Sopyeong shouted loudly as if he wouldn't listen.
“Also! Is the Jin fellow a guy who dies easily? He acts like a guy anxious to die, but he always came back alive! Even King Yama wouldn't accept him because he hates dealing with that crazy bastard!”
He felt like a clown, but he moved his mouth continuously.
He had to pull the comrades together even like this.
Now that the bad friend bastard vacated the spot.
“So it is fine not to worry about the Jin fellow! Surely. Just as the guy said, there are so many pitiful civilians in the world, so why worry about that guy whom even King Yama would avoid!”
Did he understand Dang Sopyeong’s intention?
Nam Geon, who had a gloomy expression, raised his body and said.
“R, right! B, Brother will surely come back alive. B, before too, he came back alive.”
Nam Geon mentioned the matter at Mount Heng.
He left with words that he might die, but eventually, Jin Yuseong came back as promised.
Baek Hyang, perhaps remembering the event back then, smiled awkwardly with effort and raised her body.
“Yes. If it is Senior Brother, he will surely return.”
Dang Sopyeong, who nodded his head, shouted.
“So shouldn't we finish the work the guy entrusted to us for now? First, we must visit the Seomoon Clan even by ourselves. We have to convey about the Unwavering Heart Divine Art and the Demonic Cult as the guy said.”
Shouting so, Dang Sopyeong felt a strange emptiness.
- Aren’t you trying to visit Miss Yeo, not the Seomoon Clan?
Because clearly if the guy was here, he would have tackled his words like this.
Momentarily a gloomy feeling soared, but Dang Sopyeong held onto his facial muscles with effort.
As if he would never show a depressed expression.
“If that guy was here now, he would have surely spouted crazy words asking until when you are going to rest! So how about we depart now?”
Nam Geon nodded his head greatly.
“R, right! If it is B, Brother, he surely would have r, run saying we must train!”
Having gathered their bodies and minds, they began to run unfolding movement arts.
Pah!
They moved their bodies with full power just like when they were with Jin Yuseong.
No. Rather, they threw their bodies even more roughly than when with Jin Yuseong.
Baek Hyang thought.
That she wanted to chase the Fighting Venerable who kidnapped Jin Yuseong right now.
But her cool reason was speaking.
‘It is meaningless for us to chase the Fighting Venerable by ourselves.’
The Central Plains was too wide for just five to search.
So it was better to visit the Seomoon Clan and request help.
Furthermore.
‘……Anyway, nothing changes even if we find the Fighting Venerable with our current skills. So we must become stronger.’
Even if Jin Yuseong returns alive as Hwangbo Ak said, if they don't change, the same situation will eventually repeat.
And if something went wrong with Jin Yuseong at the Fighting Venerable’s hands, she had to take revenge somehow.
Even if the opponent is one of the Three Venerables called the sky of the Gangho.